Saturday, August 24, 2013

Ten Things of Thankful: Indy Edition

Ten Things of Thankful


I have a confession to make. It’s not the first time I have said it, and undoubtedly it won’t be the last. But I am not always thankful for my dog, Indy.

He’s not quite the catch we thought he was when we got him from the shelter.

How could this NOT be love at first sight?
Our first clue should have been that there was a family who CAME BACK a second time to look at him, but then walked away.

It’s kind of gone downhill from there.

I do not know for the life of me what drug must have been slipped to me that caused me to want to get a dog. (And this dog, no less, but you have probably gathered that.)

I kid; I kid. Please don’t anyone sic PETA or some other agency on us because we don’t love our dog like he’s one of our kids. Yes, I do kind of like him and he’s so soft that it’s kind of enjoyable to pet him; sometimes I will even walk across the room and pick him up just so he’ll sit on my lap.

Yes, for reals.

But because he IS an animal and sometimes behaves as such, I decided I would use my Ten Things of Thankful this week to remind myself of the fact that I do love him.

So without further ado, I present for your reading pleasure, my Ten Things of Thankful: Indy Edition.

1.  I am thankful that we just discovered that there is a FREE bark park about 2 minutes (as the crow flies) from our house…unfortunately there are no sidewalks stretching between our house and the park otherwise we could simply walk or ride our bikes there (yes, it would admittedly be tough to do with a dog, but who’s the one telling the story here? I’m simply making a point.) So instead it is about a FIVE minute drive. Oh the agony of it…all the while the dog is panting heavily and drooling; he gets car-sick…have I mentioned that previously? Oh yes, he’s a KEEPER. FUR. SURE.  (yes, I meant to spell “for” as “fur”…both as a pun…because he’s a dog…and also so if spoken aloud you would automatically get the accent in there; because I am certain this blog is not only being read to oneself, but aloud to everyone in your household, or the subway, or wherever you happen to be while reading it.)  And yes, he really does get car sick…the vet told us that the drooling is the precursor to the vomit. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I wanted to, People.

2.  I am thankful for the TWO visits to said free bark park in the first week we knew of its existence…the first trip wasn’t fabulous (or so I hear, as I could not attend…I was at soccer practice with the 12yo…wahoo!), but second visit was much better. There was only one other dog the second time and he was bigger and apparently didn’t mind having his bottom sniffed. I know that’s gross but it’s part of the grossness of dogs; kind of like the grossness of boys…there are certain things you have to overlook. I will confess that Indy has not had a lot of experience around other dogs, so we didn’t know what he would do. The only dog he ever played with used to pee on him almost every time they were together. Yes, I clearly have the submissive kind of dog. Really? WHY would you just stand there and let another dog pee on you? They were approximately the same size so why Indy let him dominate, I’ll never know. But anyway, with his new little friend at the Bark Park, Indy was like the high-strung little side-kick “What are we doing now? How about now? Are you having fun? I’m having fun! What are we doing NOW?” I was just thankful that we all made it out of there alive.

3.  I am thankful that at said Bark Park, the 12yo got to experience, first hand, what it’s like when you are trying to get someone to follow your directions but that person (or dog, in this case) keeps getting side-tracked. 

His head thrown back in total frustration is my absolute favorite part. I feel your pain, Son.

4.  I am thankful that we bought a Groupon (which is not something I typically even look at and I don’t know why not), but a friend of mine told me about one for a local groomer/boarder so we took advantage…it will now only cost us $19 for two nights to board him while we are at Family Camp. Unfortunately we have to add an additional day because even though the website says they are open on Sundays, they are not, so we have to pay for an additional night even though we’ll be home. I’m not bitter. I’m thankful, remember? The second night is another $15…which is still ok because the first two nights were only $19 total. I’m just being thankful that we don’t have to try to smuggle him into the camp. I’m sure my friend PA would NEVER.notice.

5.  I am thankful that our first at-home grooming experience went alright…ok, except the fact that it’s a little “thin” on one side. It will grow out, right? That’s what I say about the PBA’s hair (and to be fair, I don’t have to say it very much anymore. I mean, it’s not like someone is going to pay me to do such a thing to their hair, but for costing a few pennies in electricity, it’s acceptable.

Clearly not perfect but all in all, I think it's ok...and for the record, I didn't hear Indy complaining about how it looked.
6.  And with the grooming, we also had our first nail trim at home and no blood = success. I was thankful for that, because I was actually most nervous about trimming the nail; my friend KM who was teaching me how to groom and trim him said if you cut the nail too far down, it will bleed copious amounts. And then bleed some more. I wasn’t in the mood for blood. And thankfully we made it through unscathed in that area.

7. I am thankful that Mr. Always Random gave Indy a bath immediately following his trim and he still doesn’t even stink (it’s been almost a week!)…usually when we (I say “we” as though I’ve ever washed the dog myself) wash him at home, he still smells like wet dog (which is really what you want after taking the time and energy to bathe him) but not this time. I may have actually found another way to save some moolah! And we know I’m thankful for that!

8. I bought dog fur clippers (which may double as clippers for the PBA…JK!), some fur thinning sheers (oh yes I plan to get uber fancy with my cutting) and pet nail trimmers. All for less than $22. Where you may ask? On Ebay. I am thankful for Ebay!

9. I am thankful that during our Home Study appointment, Indy only launched himself onto the lap of the woman one time; during the rest of her visit, he was happily content with a chewtoy we had saved just such an occasion as that. I had been nervous for days about how he would be…couple that with my unease about what the PBA might say as a joke but be misunderstood and I was a bundle of nerves. But fortunately she told us before we let him in the house that she loves dogs and that she had a dog and that they don’t bother her. And for the record, we also warned her that he may launch himself into her lap. At least he’s predictable if nothing else.

10. For some reason one morning this week, Indy woke up early and began crying in his crate. I tried to ignore it but the more I ignored, the more insistent became his cries. So I got up and walked near his crate…not where he could see me, but could hear me. I snapped my fingers and said, “Shhh!” (loudly…not soft and humble-like). I was understandably thankful.

One last thing…I am not thankful for this yet, but I will be (hopefully soon!): I will be thankful when the commercials on Spotify (yes, here I go again about Spotify…and yes, there are commercials; not many but they are there.) change to something new. I haven’t completely figured out the pattern on it, but I believe they have different ones each month. All that to say, I shall be thankful next month when Spotify stops playing the Allstate Insurance commercial which includes the doorbell ringing…because Indy barks at it every.single.time.




16 comments:

  1. I would love to visit a bark park. I don't think they're any here is Singapore!

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    1. That's too bad for you...they are nice, especially when you have a dog like mine who always has to be on a leash otherwise he runs away. It's nice to see him run without fear of him taking off on me!

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  2. As I read about Indy's furcut, I was thinking, "Did she, in her thriftiness, use the same clippers on the dog that she used on the boys?" Thank you for answering that question for me. :)
    As for Indy letting another dog pee on him, sounds like Indy is a dog version of a people pleaser. Wonder where he learned it? (Not that you or anyone I know would literally let someone pee on her, but figuratively...) :)
    LOVE the photo of 12yo. I can hear him sighing from here.

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    1. WOW...the fact that you would even consider that offends me completely!

      OK not really because I have actually had that thought in the past "I wonder if I could use the same clippers..." But for the record I never did.

      And then you insinuate that I would let someone pee on me.

      It's a good thing you're my BFF :)

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    2. I only say that about the clippers, because if we groomed Roy, I would probably use the ones I used on the boys. :)

      I said you wouldn't literally let someone pee on you!

      No one said being my BFF was going to be easy. :)

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  3. What's a 'bark park'?

    Thank you for this list. If I ever, ever feel like a dog might be the pet for me, I shall come back here and reconfirm that I'm just FINE with the fishies and the spider thankyouverymuch!

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    1. It's a fenced in area, usually within a public park, that is designated for dogs only. You usually have to pay yearly fees to use them, but this one is FREE. :)

      Oh, he's not THAT bad...he's soft like a cat. Does that make it better? :)

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    2. Oh cool! I've never heard of something like that.

      And no - cos I'm allergic to cats! They're snooty and even worse! ;)

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  4. When you get really good at the dog grooming, I will send you a rather obese, stinky cat who could use a bath and some grooming of a more personal nature.

    Completely love the picture of your son being the epitome of frustration. Tell him it's just a little peek into parenthood.

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    1. Oh no cats...I don't do cats. But it is a tempting offer nonetheless...

      Yes, I will tell him..I love that picture too. :)

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  5. As a furkid lover/owner, although mine are the feline variety, I loved this post. Ahh yes, they are a challenge to the nerves at times. Looks to me like you did a pretty good job on that trim! I too have a cat that could use a bit of shearing, since she's decided self-grooming really isn't a high priority! I remember once having a fairly large dog, and my two kids taking it out for a walk, only to come home carrying/lugging it... because it sat down and simply refused the direction of their lead! My husband might tell you that I can be a bit contrary like that at times too! :-))

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    1. Well, thanks for the compliment...it was a first effort and I figure if nothing else, he will be cooler when he's outside. Especially that one area when I cut it a little close. Na dIndy has been known to do the same thing...fortunately he's only 15 pounds so a little more manageable to carry if necessary! :)

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  6. We once had a dog we got from a shelter. We named him Ralph, after he (repeatedly) vomited on the car ride home.

    Loved your list!

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    1. That's too funny...it would have been an appropriate name for Indy as well, but being as the PBA actually liked the name he came with, we left it. Ralph...funny stuff! :)

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  7. Aw, I miss my dog Chief. I got him from a shelter and he was my best friend for years and years. We had to say goodbye to him in April. And yes, the hair grows back (hehe!).

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